


Worthy

by Michdie



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien becomes a bat-son, Adrien is a bad-A, Bad-A Marinette, Big Brother Dick Grayson, Bring back pink haired Adrien, Bruce stop adopting children, Damian Wayne is a Brat, Damian gets the bat miraculous, F/M, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Love Triangles, Slow Burn, for like five minutes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22596466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michdie/pseuds/Michdie
Summary: (Not active) After the death of Master Fu, Marinette is entrusted with the Miraculous, but the Justice League worries the Miracle Box will fall into the wrong hands and puts a team (including Robin) in place to watch over her, much to her chagrin. Hopefully she can be both the Guardian of the Miraculous and be a friend to the new kid in school, Damian Wayne. She and the team eventually find out Hawkmoth's identity, but at the cost of him learning Chat Noir's as well. In order to keep Adrien safe, Ladybug takes back his Miraculous so he is no longer a target.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Comments: 67
Kudos: 469





	1. Meeting with the League

Ladybug sat in an armchair in the Hall of Justice, ignoring the chatter of voices around her as she stared at her feet. It had only been three days since Master Fu had passed, three days since he made her the Guardian of the Miraculous, and three day since she realized she was way in over her head. The Justice League offered their help, and she had no other choice but to take it.

“Don’t worry, my lady,” Chat Noir said, offering her a smile as he put a hand on her knee. “The League will take care of everything. Soon, we can go back to being Paris’s favorite super heroes.”

Ladybug looked up at him, morose. “You don’t understand, Chat,” she said, “I have a responsibility now. I can’t just blow off being the Guardian.” She furrowed her brows. “Master Fu trusted me. And I need to respect that.” Chat Noir almost responded, but Batman walked up to them, effectively cutting him off.

“Ladybug,” he said, “Come with me. We need to discuss the matter of you being the new Guardian at the Watchtower.”

“Yes, of course,” she said, standing up. Under the mask, Marinette’s English was nowhere near perfect, but since Tikki took part in the creation of every language known to man, the magic of the Miraculous certainly helped. Now if only she could master Chinese…

“Chat Noir, you wait here,” Batman said when the boy stood to follow. He frowned but didn’t argue, sitting back down and crossing his arms, sulking. Ladybug gave him a sympathetic smile and a wave as Batman led her to a Zeta-Tube. Chat Noir watched the pair enter the tube, Ladybug first and Batman to follow, and he sunk further into his seat with a sigh.

“ _Is the little kitty upset about being left out_?” a voice asked in perfect French.

Chat Noir looked up to see Robin striding up to him with a sickening smirk on his face, and his lip curled involuntarily. “ _I only want to make sure my lady is taken care of_ ,” he spat.

Robin scoffed. “ _Your ‘_ lady’ _? I don’t think she appreciates that title very much, given how many times she’s rejected you_ ,” he said, his smirk growing wider.

Chat Noir was on his feet in an instant, gripping Robin’s collar in his clawed hand, but before he could do anything, Nightwing intervened.

“Easy, you two,” he said, gripping Chat Noir’s shoulder and prying him off the other boy. “Now is not the time for in-house fighting. We lost an important member of the team this week, and Ladybug needs our support. Chat Noir, as her partner, I expect you be her rock from now on. Being the Guardian of the Miraculous will not be easy, so your job is to be there for her and do whatever she needs you to. Understand?”

“I’m always there for Ladybug,” he said.

“His level of security clearance is going to make even _that_ a difficult task,” Robin said, cocking his head. Chat Noir lunged for him again, narrowly missing his face with his claws, but Nightwing grabbed him around the middle, holding him back.

“Enough! Sit back down!” He shoved Chat Noir back into his chair and turned on Robin, pointing a finger in his face. “You and I are going to have words later.”

“You can’t see it, but I’m rolling my eyes under this mask.”

Nightwing grabbed him by the arm and forced him away from the black cat.

Ladybug sat in a chair at the head of the Watchtower’s meeting table, waiting for all the League members to arrive. She nervously tapped her foot, anxiety settling into her stomach. Master Fu had asked so much of her, but she was just a kid. There was no way the League would allow her to keep the Miracle Box and distribute the Miraculous as needed. She buried her face in her hands, trying to come up with arguments to prove how responsible she was, satisfied with nothing. She started at a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Black Canary, crouching to be eye-level with her.

“Don’t worry, Ladybug,” she said, “You’re not in trouble. We only want to talk about the future of the Miraculous. It can be a heavy burden for someone so young to bear.”

“I’m worried that the League won’t trust me with the Miracle Box,” she admitted, “Master Fu made it my responsibility, and I don’t want anyone who doesn’t understand it to take it away. That isn’t to say you don’t understand it!” she added quickly, “I only mean that those who are familiar with the Miraculous really know how they work.”

“Which is why we don’t want to take them away from you,” Batman said, but Superman, who arrived shortly after they did, sighed.

“She’s just a kid,” he said, “We can’t expect her to shoulder the burden of being Guardian of the Miraculous.”

“Ladybug has proven that she is more than capable of bearing heavy burdens,” Batman said evenly. “I’d even go as far to say that she qualifies to be a member of the League.”

Ladybug’s eyes grew round as disks and her jaw hit the floor, but Superman laughed once without humor.

“If I didn’t know you any better,” he said, “I’d say you are serious.” The two men had a brief staring contest before Superman sighed again, rubbing his face. “But, of course, you are serious.”

“We can worry about that later,” Black Canary said, placing a hand on Ladybug’s arm, “For now, let’s worry about the matter at hand.”

“Are we all here?” Batman asked, turning to look at the rest of the League as they took a seat.

“Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter are radioing in,” Wonder Woman said, gesturing to their faces on a holographic screen, “But everyone else is here.”

“Very good,” Superman said, “Now we must discuss the passing of Jade Turtle, also known as Wang Fu, former League member and Guardian of the Miraculous.”

As the meeting went on, Ladybug had to force herself not to cry under the stress of it all. Her mentor just died and she hardly had the proper time to grieve. Apparently she was doing a poor job of covering up her distress because Black Canary spoke up.

“I know that Ladybug is the only person able to guard the Miraculous, but it would be irresponsible of us to make her do it on her own.”

“She has Chat Noir,” the Flash said.

“Chat Noir is unreliable,” Batman said “She needs someone—”

“Excuse me?” Ladybug said with a scowl. “Chat Noir is the best partner I could ask for. He’s more than capable of protecting the Miraculous, and I trust him with my life!”

“But not with your secret identity,” Batman said, “Which he constantly asks you for, if I’m not mistaken.” But Batman was never mistaken. “He goes against your wishes to keep your identities hidden.”

“But he’s never shared his with me,” she argued.

“It’s only a matter of time. You need someone who won’t manipulate you.”

“He wouldn’t—!”

“Has is ever occurred to you,” Batman spoke over her, “That while the two of you don’t know each other’s identities, there are others who do?”

“Oh, you mean such as yourself?” Ladybug said sarcastically, but the hard look Batman gave her told her that her off-handed comment hit home. Her jaw slackened and she rose her eyebrows a fraction of an inch.

“Chat Noir is an effective teammate,” Batman continued, “But I don’t trust him with the Miracle Box.”

“I don’t either,” Superman said, “He lets his emotions cloud his judgement.”

“We should send a small team to Paris,” Wonder Woman said.

“I _have_ a team,” Ladybug argued. "Rena Rouge, Viperion—they are all amazing teammates!"

“A team that isn’t so close to you,” Batman interjected. “You need a team that doesn’t look to you as a leader, but rather as an equal.”

“Someone who can communicate with the League with ease.” Wonder Woman said.

Ladybug jumped her feet, glowering at them. “You want to put a collar on me?!” she cried. “I’ve protected Paris for three years! I don’t need the League breathing down my neck!”

“You misunderstand,” Black Canary said soothingly. “This is not a team to control you or get in the way. It is merely there to observe and help when needed. Your authority over Paris won’t be usurped.” Ladybug didn’t know what ‘usurped’ meant in French, but she was more concerned with the word ‘observe.’

“So you want someone there to check up on me and report everything I do back to you guys? You don’t trust me?!” she said.

“If we didn’t trust you,” Batman said, “We would’ve taken your Miraculous a long time ago.” Ladybug glared at him, but he was unperturbed. “The Miracle Box makes you a target, therefore we need to take the necessary precautions to ensure your safety.”

“And what if I don’t want this team to ensure my ‘safety’?” she said, sitting back down and crossing her arms, “What if I fight against it?”

“You would willingly go up against the entire League single-handedly?” Batman asked. When he put it that way, she couldn’t exactly say yes.

“Ladybug,” Wonder Woman said, “We remind you that this is not to keep you on a leash. We want you to keep doing what you’re doing in Paris, but we also don’t want you to have to constantly look over your shoulder for danger.”

“Think of it like a buddy system,” the Flash said with a smile, “You fight against Akumas all the time, but what if someone uses that as a distraction to get to the Miracle Box? The team will be there in that instance for backup.”

“He’s right,” Superman said, “We promise we won’t step on any toes.”

Ladybug sighed. “Even if I say no, you’re going to put the team in place anyway, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Batman said. The other members each gave him a look ranging from ‘I thought we agreed to not tell her that’ to ‘Don’t make her think we can’t trust her.’

“Very well,” Ladybug said, “Who are you going to send?”

“In order to maintain security,” Batman said, “Their identities will remain a secret. But they will be close by at all times.”

Ladybug shook her head to herself. “Fine,” she said, “Put your team in place.”


	2. The New Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette tries to befriend a new student at school.

Marinette ran through the halls of her school in a desperate but futile attempt to get to class on time. She was always late, so her teacher had assigned her a seat in the back of the class by the door so she wouldn’t disturb anyone on her way in, and Mme. Bustier, knowing that she liked to talk to whoever sat by her, made sure her neighboring seat was empty. But when Marinette burst through the classroom door, nearly face-planting on the ground before catching herself, she found that usually empty seat occupied.

“Nice of you to finally join us, Marinette,” Mme. Bustier said with a raised eyebrow (but not without amusement). “Meet your new classmate, Damian Wayne.”

Marinette glanced in his direction and sat down. “Hi,” she whispered with a smile. He only nodded in response.

The boy, Damian, was a looker, that’s for sure, rivaling even Adrian’s perfection, so how she managed a normal hello she had no idea. The lesson continued on, Marinette taking notes and dotting her I’s with little hearts, and at no point did the new boy’s presence fluster her. She was actually proud of herself for that. Maybe she was finally becoming mature enough to talk to attractive boys normally.

“Okay, class,” Mme. Bustier said after her lesson, “Feel free to talk amongst yourselves as you do your work.” She sat down at her desk as the class began to chatter.

“So, Damian,” Marinette said, looking through her workbook, “Where are you from?”

“Gotham City, New Jersey,” he said, “My father sent me here on foreign exchange to get a better understanding of the culture.”

“The United States, huh? Your accent is perfect,” she giggled.

“Yes, it is.”

Marinette took a breath to say something else, but Chloé interrupted, striding up to their table and slamming her hands on its surface, giving Damian a glare.

“I’m still waiting for my apology, _Damian_ ,” she spat.

“Well,” he said, looking up at her with a frown, “You’re going to be waiting a long time, _Bourgeois_.”

“You two know each other?” Marinette asked, eyebrow raised.

“Our fathers are business partners,” he explained.

“I’ll never forget how you embarrassed me at the gala last Christmas,” Chloé said.

Damian raised an eyebrow. “Please give yourself some credit,” he said, “That was all you.” She glowered at him, balling her hands into fists.

“Chloé,” Mme. Bustier looked up from her desk, “Please take a seat.”

She gave Damian one final glare before turning to sit down. Marinette giggled softly, earning her a glance from the boy.

“What did she do at the gala that was so embarrassing?” she asked softly so that the girl wouldn’t hear.

Damian clicked his tongue. “She told me that she thought we should date; that it would look good for our fathers,” he said, “And I told her that I wouldn’t be caught dead with the likes of her.”

“Seems a bit harsh,” Marinette said with a frown.

“Hmm. Why should you care?” he challenged, giving her a pensive look, “The two of you don’t even like each other.”

“Oh, so she’s mentioned that,” she said with a single chuckle. “I guess we do butt heads a little.” Damian didn’t respond to that, and Marinette didn’t know how else to continue the conversation. They continued their work in relative silence until the bell rang.

Marinette packed up her bag and turned to her new classmate. “So,” she said, “Do you need any help finding your next cla—”

“Hi, Damian,” Lila said, standing in front of their desk. Marinette scowled at her presence. “Do you need any help finding your next class? My grandfather was the lead architect when building the school, so everyone in my family knows all the ins and outs.” She smiled brightly, but Marinette scoffed.

“This school was built in the 1800’s,” she said, placing her hands on her hips, “How could your grandfather have built it?”

A look of rage crossed Lila’s face only for the briefest instant, so only someone looking directly at her would have chanced actually seeing it before she smiled sweetly. “I meant my great-great-however many ‘greats’-grandfather,” she said, “Obviously it couldn’t have been my direct grandfather, silly.”

Marinette bit back a retort as Damian spoke up. “Thanks, but no thanks, Rossi,” he said flatly. He gave Marinette a nod. “Dupain-Cheng is showing me around. You know, since it’s her _job_ as class-representative.” He gave her a discreet wink and, this time, Marinette did blush. Damian stood up and gestured to the door, facing away from a fuming Lila. “Lead the way,” he said. She smiled and showed him out the door.

“Ms. Mendeleev’s class is this way,” Marinette said, leading him down the hall. “So when did you move here? I hope it wasn’t too bad of a transition.”

“I arrived yesterday,” he said, watching her raise her eyebrows. “And, no, I’ve dealt with worse.”

“I can’t imagine not even having a day to get situated,” she said, “If you ever need any help with anything, please let me know. I can give you my number,” she offered, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

“You just met me and you’re already offering me your phone number?” Damian asked with a smirk. “I’m flattered.”

Marinette blushed and giggled. “I’m just trying to be helpful, I promise. No ulterior motives.” Damian chuckled once and pulled out his phone.

They exchanged numbers, and she couldn’t stop her pulse from quickening when brushing his hand as they swapped phones. Butterflies in her stomach joined the party when she looked up at an approaching student.

“Hey, Marinette,” Adrian said brightly, walking up to them, “Damian, long time, no see. What are you doing here?”

“You-you two know each other?!” Marinette cried looking between them.

“My dad designed a suit for his dad once,” Adrian offered.

“Yes, he did, didn’t he?” Damian said with a frown. “And to answer your question, I’m here on foreign exchange.”

“So, who exactly is your dad?” Marinette asked. If both Chloé and Adrien knew him, he must be someone famous.

“Bruce Wayne.”

“Hmm,” she paused in thought, “I think I’ve heard that name before.”

“Mr. Wayne is really nice,” Adrien said with a smile, but Damian scoffed softly. “He does a lot for the poor in Gotham.”

Marinette smiled. “That’s so nice of him.”

“Well,” Damian said with a click of his tongue, pushing open the door to Ms. Mendeleev’s room, “What else is a billionaire to do?” He walked to the back of the class and took his seat.

_Billionaire?_ Marinette thought as she sat down. _No wonder Chloé wanted to date him._

“Sorry I missed class earlier, Marinette,” Adrien said, sitting behind her. “I had a photoshoot.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t even noticed, too busy talking to Damian. “Well, good thing you’re here now.” She smiled. “I love it when you’re here. For your education, I mean!” Marinette chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s good to get an education.”

Adrien laughed and nodded as Marinette’s cheeks turned red. She looked away to hide the blush as Alya sat down next to her at the start of Ms. Mendeleev’s lesson.

“Good morning, everyone,” she said, “And hello to our new student, Damian.” She picked up a piece of paper from her desk, giving it a brief glance. “The science fair is coming up, and you are all required to work in pairs,” slight groans sounded around the room, “And complete your project by the end of the month. I will allow you to choose who you work with, or you can come to me for a partner assignment.”

Alya gave Marinette a smirk as students began shouting out who they wanted their partners to be. “Here’s your chance to partner with you-know-who,” she whispered.

Marinette giggled. “Oh come on, you don’t want to work with me?”

“I’ll take one for the team,” Alya said with a wink.

“Ms. Mendeleev,” Lila said, raising her hand. “I would like to work with Damian. I can help him adjust to school in France.”

Marinette frowned. She couldn’t let another unassuming student get caught in Lila’s lies!

“Actually,” Damian said with a frown, “Rossi and I have a scheduling conflict.”

“No!” Lila insisted, waving her hands in front of her, “I’m totally free!”

“I would prefer,” Damian went on, “To be partnered with Dupain-Cheng. She _did_ offer to help me out around here.”

“Interesting twist of events,” Alya muttered.

“Marinette, is that alright?” Ms. Mendeleev asked.

“Yes, of course,” she said instantly and added mentally, _Anything to stop Lila from spreading her lies._

“Lila,” Ms. Mendeleev said, “You can work with Adrien.”

Marinette sighed to herself. _Crap._

“Well,” Alya whispered, “At least the new kid is cute, too.” Marinette shrugged and tried not to feel to glum about Adrien’s partner as class went on.

At the end of the lesson, she turned around to talk to him, but noticed Lila at Damian’s desk, looking like a doll with her hands clasped behind her and one foot popped in the air. He only looked bored by her presence, leaning on his hand with a blank expression. Marinette jumped up and raced to rescue him, interrupting whatever Lila was saying.

“Damian,” she said, “When do you want to work on the project? It’ll be good to get it done early so it’s not hanging over our heads, right?” Marinette hoped Damian wasn’t a slacker type, but she didn’t necessarily care; she only wanted to get him away from Lila, who was currently smiling with her lips, but glaring with her eyes.

“I’m free tonight,” he said.

“Tonight?” She had planned to go on a patrol with Chat Noir that night. “I have something tonight, but will tomorrow work? You can come over to my house if you want.”

“I can help you out tonight, Damian,” Lila said, but he ignored her.

“Tomorrow will be perfect,” he said. Marinette smiled with relief.

…

“So,” Chat Noir asked as he balanced on his staff, extended between two buildings over an alleyway, “Who do you think this team is that the League is sending?”

“No idea,” Ladybug said from her place on the edge of the roof, backlit by the moon shining down. “But whoever it is,” she stood up and stepped onto the staff, sticking her arms out for balance, “I don’t want them getting too close.” She frowned. “Paris is _our_ city, and I don’t want them getting in the way. I’ve had the past _three years_ of experience. We both have! And they want to take that away?” She met Chat Noir at the middle of the staff and sighed. “I know I wanted help after Master Fu…passed, but _I_ was entrusted with the Miraculous. And _you’re_ my partner! We’re the only people for the job!” She crossed her arms, pouting and looking at her feet. Chat Noir’s gentle hands fell on her shoulders.

“Don’t worry, my lady,” he said, “You’re the most trust-worthy person I know. If the League can’t see that, then they’re dumber than a sack of bricks.” Ladybug laughed.

“Thank you, Chat,” she said, “I’m glad you’ll always be there for me. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Ah, you’d be completely lost, Bugaboo,” he said, placing a hand his chest. “I’m your rock, your whole foundation!”

“I can stand perfectly fine on my own,” she replied, smirking and putting her hands on her hips.

“Yes,” he said matter-of-factly, “But I’m the arch-support sneakers that make standing just a _little_ bit easier.”

Ladybug gave him a fond smile. “Yeah,” she said softly, “You are.”

“We’ll prove to them that we’re worthy to guard the Miracle Box,” Chat Noir said. “We just need to keep doing what we’re doing; capture Akumas, save innocent lives, protect the Miraculous.”

Ladybug nodded resolutely. “We _are_ worthy. We just have to make them see it.”


	3. Working on the Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian comes to Marinette's house to work on their science fair project, but Robin does a bit of snooping while Ladybug takes a short leave of absence.

Damian arrived at Marinette’s house to work on their science fair project the next day promptly at four o’ clock. It pleased her to know how serious he was about his schoolwork, but she couldn’t tell if he was warming up to her or not, calling her the smartest person in the class while simultaneously making her feel like an idiot. He just had that special way about him.

“Honestly, Dupain-Cheng,” he said with a roll of his eyes, dropping his pencil onto the kitchen table, “As the smartest person in class, chemistry terminology should be a no-brainer.”

“Hey, there’s a difference between being smart and memorizing,” she said with a pout.

Damian clicked his tongue. “They’re related.” Marinette narrowed her eyes before breaking into laughter. He smiled softly in return.

“So, there’s a Jagged Stone concert this Friday. Do you want to come?” she asked, “I have an extra ticket.” She had been planning on giving the extra ticket to Adrien, but his father forbade him from attending.

“Are you asking me on a date?” he said with a smirk, leaning on his hand.

“It’s a _group_ outing,” she retorted, but a light blush dusted her features.

“Ugh.” Damian sat up straight. “ _Group outings_ ,” he muttered, making her laugh.

“It’ll be fun, I promise.”

He cocked his head, giving her a piercing look. “For _you_ , I’ll go.”

“Yay!” Marinette clapped her hands excitedly. “Just wait until you meet Luka! He’s awesome, so you’ll probably hate—”

A quake shook the building, rattling the light fixture above their heads. They looked at each other in confusion.

“What was that?” he asked. A second quake knocked the framed photos off the walls.

Marinette jumped up. “Get under the table and cover your head with your arms!” she said, giving him a determined look. “I need to...check on my parents. This might take a while, but I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“You’ll call me when you’re done checking on your parents downstairs?” Damian asked, eyebrow raised.

“Um…yeah? Just stay safe!” She pointed at the table again before running out the door.

Damian smirked to himself. “That’s the Ladybug I know.”

Instead of getting under the table as Marinette had asked, he calmly walked to the window and looked outside as a blur of red whizzed past, swinging from rooftop to rooftop. He took an earpiece out of his pocket and slipped it on, now able to communicate with Ladybug directly (Zatanna helped them out with that one as she was familiar with the magic the Miraculous used).

“Hello, Ladybug,” he said, “This is Robin speaking.”

“ _Robin_?” her voice buzzed in his ear, “ _You’re part of the team they sent_?”

“One part, yes,” he said walking through the house, having to brace himself as the quakes, possibly gigantic footsteps, grew closer. “There are a few others, but I’m the one who will be in contact with you.” He peeked into a room on the hallway, but it looked like her parent’s room. He shook his head and closed the door. It wouldn’t be in there.

“ _Well_ ,” she said, “ _It’s nice to hear from you again, but I_ —” she grunted, “ _I’m a little busy_.”

“Oh, don’t mind me,” he said, peeking into the bathroom and shutting the door again. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m here in Paris now, available to help whenever.”

“ _That’s great, Robin. I let you know if—Chat_ , cover me!”

“Well, I’ll let you get back to it,” Damian said. He muted his mic and looked up the ladder into the attic, ascending it quickly and pushing open the trapdoor.

The first thing he noticed was the color pink as he gazed around Marinette’s room. The second thing he noticed were the pictures of Adrien Agreste covering the walls. He let out a noise of disgust, shaking his head at the irony. He passed by a hope chest and stopped, opening it up and rummaging through the contents, mostly half-finished sewing projects and school report cards. He picked up a bag labeled “fabric scraps”, noting its weight, too heavy to be just fabric. He opened it up, pulling out colorful strips and pieces of textiles, unearthing a round box, red with black spots.

“Snooping is rude, young man,” a small voice said.

Damian started, seeing a tiny, green turtle floating in front of him. He looked at the creature in wonder. “What are you?” he asked, pulling a device out of his pocket and scanning the lifeform in front of him, only to find that the sensor didn’t pick anything up, as if the creature didn’t exist. He furrowed his brows.

“My name is Wayzz,” it said, “I’m a Kwami for the turtle Miraculous.”

“What does that mean?” Damian asked, ignoring another earth-shaking stomp, though the lights in the room flickered.

“We Kwamis are the physical embodiment the powers our respective Miraculous possess. I am the Kwami of Protection, and I help guard the Miraculous.”

Damian narrowed his eyes. “You don’t seem suspicious of me. Why?” he asked.

Wayzz smiled. “The Kwami of Destiny has foreseen your arrival. You are not here to harm us.”

“Foreseen?” Damian furrowed his brows. “What exactly did he see me do?”

“I cannot tell you that,” Wayzz said, “Otherwise it won’t come to pass. But I do know that you’re a friend. May I ask why you are trying to take the Miracle Box?”

“I’m not trying to take it,” Damian said, setting it back in its bag and covering it with scraps of fabric. “I only wanted to make sure it was properly hidden. And, I must say,” he closed the lid of the hope chest, “I’m _disappointed_ in Ladybug’s level of security. I’ll make sure she has a proper security system within the week.” Damian stood and crossed his arms. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell her I was here. She isn’t the only one with a secret identity.”

“I will respect your wishes,” Wayzz said, “Only because I know you mean no harm. If you do anything to suggest otherwise—”

“You’ll tell her,” Damian finished for him. “That’s understandable. I’d do the same. Well, Wayzz,” he opened the trap door and stepped onto the first rung of the ladder, “It was a _pleasure_ meeting you.” He descended into the hall and, no sooner had his feet hit the hardwood floor did his cell phone ring with a call from Marinette.

“Hmm. That was quick.” He pressed call and held the phone up to his ear. “Marine—?”

“ _Damian_!” she shouted, and he flinched at the sound, pulling his phone away slightly. " _Are you okay_?!”

“I’m perfectly fine,” he said, noticing that the photos that had fallen to the floor were now back on the wall. “How are you? Are your parents okay?”

“ _What? Oh, yeah! Yeah, they’re fine_ ,” she said, “ _I’ll be back home in just a minute_.”

“Back home?” he asked with a smirk, “I thought you were just going _downstairs_.”

Marinette paused. “ _Well, uh, I saw someone get hurt in the street, so I, um, ran out to go help them find their parents. But I’m walking in the door right now. See you in a sec_!”

She hung up, and Damian sat down in their chair he’d occupied before she left, looking around at their project scattered across the table. He picked up his pencil to continue working on it, but heard footsteps pounding against the floor. Two seconds later, Marinette burst through the door, panting heavily. She smiled when she saw him.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re okay,” she said between breaths. Marinette sat down next to him, smoothing her disheveled hair. “Alright,” she picked up her pencil and looked at the project, “Where were we?” Damian frowned.

Marinette had just fought an Akuma. He didn’t quite know what that entailed, but he seriously doubted her Miracle Cure took care of the exertion spent fighting the battle, if her heavy breathing was anything to judge by. She had just battled a monster and had to pretend that everything was normal, doing her science project like the good little girl she was. Damian would be lying if he said he couldn’t relate.

“Actually,” he put his pencil down, “Do you want to take a little break? We’ve already done plenty for today.”

Marinette chuckled once. “I thought you’d never ask.” She stood up and he followed her lead. “Let’s get some ice cream.”

Damian had been to Paris before. He’d seen the sights, heard the droning voices of tour guides, and read all the pamphlets about the history of the city. He knew where he was and the story behind it all. But it all sounded so different from Marinette’s lips as she led him down the Champs-Élysées. She made the City of Love sound so… _alive_. Anyone else he would have stopped, had already told them he knew the history, and then some, but he let Marinette talk, listening to her sweet, clear voice sing with adoration for her beloved city.

“Ah,” she said, pointing, “There’s Andre, the ice cream salesman. Supposedly, he uses his ice cream to guide you to your true love.” She giggled. “Kind of silly, but people actually believe it.”

Damian clicked his tongue. “People will believe anything.”

They stepped up to Andre, who had just finished serving a cute, elderly couple, and Marinette waved hello.

“Hi, Andre,” she said, “We’re here for some—”

“Ah, so the young couple wants to see if their love is true!” he interrupted.

Damian’s cheeks turned red and he glared at the man. “We’re not a couple,” he spat, but Marinette laughed.

“Damian is just a friend,” she said.

“But Andre sees all true love,” Andre mused, “All potential for love! I see,” he grabbed a cone and his ice cream scoop, dipping into a bin, “Charcoal and blackberry for her hair,” he plopped the scoop onto the cone and dipped into another bin, “Blueberry for her eyes. Voila!” He held out the cone to Damian, who took it gingerly.

Did this man seriously think he and Marinette would be lovers? But, then again, Damian knew a lot of people with black hair and blue eyes.

“And for Miss Marinette,” Andre said, turning to her. He gave her a critical look. “I used to see peach for his lips and mint for his eyes, but I changed my mind.”

“Oh?” Marinette said with a frown.

“I see…strawberry!” he cried, “And blue raspberry!” He scooped the pink and blue ice cream onto her cone without further explanation and handed it to the confused girl.

“Um, thanks?” she said.

They payed Andre and went a little ways off, eating their ice cream in silence, both lost in thought.


	4. The Concert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian meets Marinette at the Jagged Stone concert and helps her out when she's in a tight spot.

Damian had never cared much for other teenagers, so he really shouldn’t have agreed to go to the Jagged Stone concert with Marinette. He had every reason not to go: homework, his work as Robin, the team’s mission in France. But there was something about her eyes that pulled him in; he couldn’t say no.

“I think this would look nice,” Kara said, pulling a red button up out of his closet. “Very cute.” She chuckled and winked.

Kara Zor-El was one of the members of the team the League sent to guard the Miraculous, alongside Wally West and Damian’s own adoptive sister, Cassandra Cain. Not only did Damian have to work with these people, he also had to live with them. And he was the _youngest_. It was awful. Kara reminded him how awful it was by offering to help him get ready for his “date” even though he reminded her numerous times that it wasn’t a date.

“What do you think, Cass?” she asked, holding the shirt up to a grumpy Damian. Cassandra, who stood in the doorway, frowned and stepped into the room.

“I don’t know,” she said, “We want this girl to fall in love with him, right?”

“ _Cass_ ,” Damian spat.

“So,” she continued, turning to his closet, “We need something that really emphasizes his muscles.” She pulled out a form fitting tank top and held it up to him, but he snatched it away.

“Absolutely not,” he growled. The girls giggled and he ordered them out of the room.

“We’ll send in Wally,” Kara said over her shoulder, leaving the door open a crack, and Damian barely had time to take a breath before the older man was knocking on his door.

“I hear you need some help impressing Miss Ladybug,” he said with a smile.

“I don’t need help impressing anyone,” Damian said, crossing his arms with a scowl, but he didn’t stop Wally from entering the room and looking through his closet.

“Perhaps we can mix these two ideas together,” he said, referring to the tops Kara and Cassandra had left out. “It’s a concert, so you don’t have to be too fancy, but you don’t want to look like a douche either.” He pulled out a plain black t-shirt and tossed it to Damian. “Try this on.”

He removed the baseball tee he wore to school and pulled the black top over his head. Wally nodded.

“It’s nice and simple, and it shows off your muscles, too,” he gave Damian’s bicep a light squeeze, “The chicks’ll dig it.”

Damian scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he said softly.

“Now for the hair,” Wally said, beckoning him into the bathroom. He went through the various products on the counter and Damian warily followed him in, watching him pick up a jar of hair gel. He ground his teeth but remind silent as Wally scooped a dollop into his hands and slathered it all in his hair.

“You want that tousled, ‘just got out of bed’ look,” he said, picking up a comb and shaping Damian’s locks into place. He smiled when finished. “Perfect.”

“Uh, thanks,” Damian mumbled, glancing in the mirror, hoping Marinette would like the sculpted yet disheveled look.

“And, since its fall,” Wally said, entering the bedroom and reaching into the closet for the last time, “What girl doesn’t like a leather jacket?”

“You think someone like Marinette would like the ‘bad boy’ look?” Damian asked skeptically.

“Trust me on this.”

“I trust you as far as I can throw you,” Damian spat.

“And yet,” Wally grinned, “You let me put gel in your hair.” Damian scowled and looked away but accepted the jacket Wally handed to him. “Now, off you go! Don’t want to be late.” He winked at Damian who only sighed and shook his head.

…

Marinette waited with Alya by the entrance to the amphitheater, chatting as they waited for everyone to show up in the growing darkness of night. Lila wasn’t going to come, but Marinette wouldn’t let herself get too excited since she was spending the evening working on the science fair project with Adrian instead.

She hoped that Damian would come, though. She really wanted to be his friend and get to know him. There was something about him that seemed familiar. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she had seen his mannerisms somewhere before. As rude as he could be, she found herself drawn to him, seeking if not a romantic relationship, then certainly a friendship. But that would only happen if he let it. She didn’t have to hope for long, though, breaking into a smile when she saw him walking up to the group.

“Damian!” she said, running up to him, “You made it!”

“Yes, as I said I would.” He spared a glance at the rest of the group, and she could tell from his frown that he wasn’t pleased by their presence.

“I’m really glad you’re here,” she said quietly, giving him a smile.

“Why?” he said, furrowing his brows, “You hardly know me.”

“I know,” she said, clasping her hands behind her back, tapping her toe against the ground, “But I want to get to know you better. I know how hard it is to not have any friends in a new place. I just want you to be comfortable here in France.” She patted his arm.

“Oh, I think I know what’s going on here,” he said with a smirk, glancing at her hand as she removed it from his arm. “You have a crush on me, don’t you?” He put a hand on his hip and raised an eyebrow.

Marinette just stared at him with wide eyes and red blooming in her cheeks. “I-you-what?!” she spluttered. Damian only chuckled. “I don’t—we’re just friends!” she cried.

“Just friends?” Damian asked. “Then why are you blushing?”

His accusation made her go an even deeper shade of scarlet. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, frowning.

“And you asked for my number.”

“We-you—it was so you could get help in a new country!” She put a hand on her hip and pointed a finger in his face. “Listen up, mister. I am a very kind person!”

“Mhm, I’m sure.”

“And I’m here just trying to be helpful,” she continued. “I am not someone you think you can tease, or someone who freaks out because a boy says ‘hi.’”

“Hi, Marinette,” a voice behind her said.

She shrieked and jumped, nearly colliding into Damian as she whipped around, finding Luka and Juleka standing in front of her.

“Luka!” Marinette cleared her throat and tried to speak in a normal voice. “Hi. Um, Damian, this is Luka, Juleka’s brother. Luka, this is Damian. He just moved here from America.”

“Nice to meet you,” Luka said, sticking his hand out for Damian to shake.

“Likewise,” Damian replied, making no move to shake Luka’s hand, so he awkwardly pulled it away.

“So, uh,” he turned back to Marinette, “You guys ready to go in?”

Her face brightened. “Yup! I’ve got everyone’s tickets.”

“Great.” He smiled. “Thanks again for inviting me.”

Marinette’s face grew red again. “Oh, it’s nothing,” she said with a wave of her hand, turning to walk back to the rest of the group.

They joined the others, and Marinette gave everyone their ticket, following the path into the amphitheater. They passed through the ticket booth, gushing excitedly about how much fun they were going to have and how awesome Jagged Stone played the guitar.

“You know, Damian,” Alya said smugly, “Marinette once designed an album cover for Jagged.”

“Is that so?” he asked. Of course, Damian already knew that. After Batman had deduced Ladybug’s identity, he made note of any association she had with the elite and wealthy. In Damian’s opinion, designing an album cover was one of the least impressive things Ladybug had ever done. “You’re quite the artist,” he said dryly.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she said dismissively.

“Don’t be modest, Marinette,” Luka said. “You really are an amazing artist.”

She giggled and blushed. “Oh, stop.”

Damian frowned, looking between the two. “He’s right, of course,” he said, catching Marinette's eye again, “If you’re designing for celebrities, than you must be exquisite. I would love to see your art some time.”

Marinette rubbed the back of her neck and wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Well, I’ll be happy to show you anytime.”

Damian smiled, just a touch smugly. He glanced at Luka, but the kid was smiling easily at Marinette, so he looked away, scoffing to himself. What was that guy’s deal, anyway?

Damian didn’t think anything more of it when the concert started, but he kept looking over at Marinette, largely ignoring Jagged’s performance. She was cheering and smiling, looking happier than he had ever seen her. It was…cute. She was cute. He groaned softly to himself. Only one week into the mission, and he was getting attached.

When he accused her of having a crush on him, he was only teasing. The truth of the matter was that the accusation should’ve gone the other way around. Ever since he met Ladybug, he’d been completely enamored with her. She was strong, intelligent, kind, bold, and everything he could ask for in a woman. When he found out her identity, a sweet Parisian who lived in a bakery, he became even more taken. The only problem was the cat, male model Adrien Agreste. Chat Noir was charming, and it was only a matter of time until Marinette fell for him. And, though Damian would never admit it, he didn’t think he could compete with Ladybug’s closest partner and, if the photos in her room were anything to go on, her biggest crush. If Damian were to have a chance with Marinette, he would have to find a way around Adrien.

He glanced at Luka dancing beside her. He might pose a problem as well, but Damian knew that a relationship with a civilian was challenging, so he’d let it go. For now.

“Hey, does anyone want some snacks?” Marinette asked at the end of a fast-paced “banger” as Alya had called it. “My parents gave me some money for the night.” Most happily accepted, only a few refusing to let her pay, but she easily persuaded them. “I’ll be right back.”

She began to walk away, but Damian stopped her with a hand wrapped around her wrist. “I’ll come with,” he said, “For protection, since it’s dark out.”

She smiled. “Thanks, that’s really sweet of you.”

They left for the concession stands together, and Damian glanced at Luka, satisfied to see his small frown and narrowed eyes.

“So,” Marinette said, as they looked around at the concession booths, “Are you enjoying the concert?”

He gave a small smile. “Yeah,” he said, “It’s been fun.”

She giggled. “Good. I’m glad.” Marinette dug around her purse before looking up with a frown. “I think I left my wallet in my car. Would you mind coming out with me to look for it?”

“Not at all,” he said, “Wouldn’t want to disappoint everyone expecting snacks.” He winked, making her blush and chuckle softly.

“Sorry,” she said, walking toward the parking lot. “I can be so forgetful sometimes.”

“It’s alright,” he said. If acting clumsy and forgetful was how she maintained her secret identity, he didn’t mind.

He followed her out into the parking lot, stopping at her car. He leaned against a nearby vehicle as she looked around, averting his eyes away from her backside, until she stood up and closed the door.

“It’s not on this side,” she said, walking around to the passenger door. “Let me check the glove box.” She searched inside for a few moments more, until standing up straight and holding aloft a pink wallet with a smile on her face. “Ah ha! There you are.” She shut the door and locked her car, making her way around to where Damian was, but the call of a random stranger several yards away stopped her in her tracks.

“Hey, Sweetie!” he said, walking closer, “You going to the concert?”

Damian scowled. Whoever this loser was was going to regret their next few actions unless they moved away. He quickly ran to her side.

“Um, yeah?” Marinette said confused.

“Can I come with you?” the man, clearly intoxicated Damian could tell, said with a goofy grin.

“How about you back off?” he spat. The drunkard turned to him with a glare.

“I was asking _her_.” The man balled his hands into fists and stood tall over Damian, but he only returned his glare.

“And _I’m_ telling _you_ to beat it,” he said evenly.

“Damian,” Marinette grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away, “Let’s just go.”

“Now look what you’ve done,” the man said menacingly, “You’re scaring her off.”

He made a grab for Marinette, but before she could even think to react, Damian grabbed his arm with lightning speed, twisting it and forcing him to the ground, shoving his knee into the man’s back and his face into the asphalt. He groaned in pain.

“How dare you try to touch her!” Damian yelled.

“Damian, come on!” Marinette urged with a frightened expression. “Let’s just get out of here!”

He released the man and grabbed her arm, quickly leading her back into the concert arena and didn’t stop until they were in the safety of the front entrance. He turned to her, eyes burning with intensity, and gripped her shoulders.

“Are you alright?” Damian asked.

Marinette gave him a small smile. “Yes, I am,” she said. “Thank you for protecting me.” She put her hand on his arm, rubbing it with her thumb. This time, it was his turn to blush. He released her shoulders and looked away.

“It was nothing,” he said.

She giggled. “Well, it was everything to me.”

Damian felt her lips brush his cheek and his face turned impossibly redder.

“We should get the food for the others,” he said, grabbing her arm (but refusing to make eye contact) and led her back to the concession stands.


	5. The Blind Bat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug recruits Damian to help take down an Akuma.

Ladybug couldn’t see a thing through the dense fog surrounding her, covering her surroundings like a blanket, and blocking out the most of the sunlight. She spun her yoyo in front of her, straining her ears to hear any sign of movement.

“You can’t win, Ladybug,” Misty Eye, Hawkmoth’s latest akumatized victim, said, her voice soft like a mother crooning lullabies to a child. “Soon I will have my revenge.”

“Why are you doing this?” Ladybug cried, looking all around for the Akuma, but could only see dense, white fog in front of her face.

“Oh, would you really like to know?” she asked. “I was next in a long line of candidates for cataracts surgery, but my insurance company denied coverage for my costs. I’ve been waiting in the dark for years, waiting for my chance to see my children and grandchildren’s faces again. As soon as I get your Miraculous,” a hand grabbed Ladybug from behind and turned her around, and she found herself face to face with the milky-eyed old woman, gold eyeglasses hanging around her neck, “I’ll get the money I need to cover my surgery.”

She made a grab for Ladybug’s earrings, but the heroine grabbed the Akuma’s arm and threw her away, running in the opposite direction and skidding to a halt before she collided with a wall. She swung her yoyo up to the rooves of the city, relieved when she felt the end catch on something, and pulled herself up.

“This is no use,” she said to Chat Noir through their comm unit. “We’ve been at this for two hours, and we still don’t know how to take her down.”

“ _I think it’s Lucky Charm time_ ,” he said.

“I think you’re right.” Ladybug readied her yoyo, flinging it up into the air and watching the end spin in a flash of glorious light. “Lucky Charm!” she cried, watching a small object appear, and catching it before it could fall to the ground.

It was a teapot. A small, Chinese style, red teapot with black polka-dots. It was exactly the same as Master Fu’s. She swallowed thickly and tucked it under one arm. Now was not the time to mourn.

“I’m going to grab some backup,” she said. “Keep going as long as you can, but don’t get caught. If you find her, keep her talking.”

“ _Got it_.”

Ladybug swung from building to building, able to see a bit better above the cloud of fog settled on the streets, until she arrived at her house, landing on her balcony and entering the trap door.

“Spots off!” she cried, feeling her costume fall away. She tossed Tikki a macaron.

Marinette ran to her hope chest, throwing the lid open and pushing the contents out of the way, feeling for a small thumb pad at the bottom. She pressed it and a panel in her wall opened, ejecting the Miracle Box on a tray like a DVD player—added security at Robin’s request. She opened the box and looked inside, eyes scrutinizing every piece of jewelry within.

“I need something that won’t be hindered by loss of eyesight,” she muttered to herself, closing the drawers of rejected Miraculous until her eyes fell upon a pair of cufflinks. “Ah ha!” She slipped the cufflinks into their own little velvet-lined box and turned to her Kwami. “Tikki!” she said, “Spots on!”

The Kwami zipped into her earrings, transforming Marinette into the powerful Ladybug, her magically indestructible suit replacing her normal clothes. Ladybug, Miraculous in hand, bolted through her trap door, and flew through the city.

“Who should I give this to?” she muttered. It couldn’t be Alya, she was already Rena Rouge. Luka had already bonded with Sass. Maybe Adrien? She had tried giving him a Miraculous once before, but it had ended in failure, the snake Miraculous going to Luka instead. Perhaps this one would work.

She landed on the roof of Collège Françoise Dupont, overlooking the courtyard that the fog had managed to not leek into, so she could see clearly, but Adrien was nowhere to be found. She scanned through the windows of the classrooms, looking for him but the only person she saw that she could possibly trust with a Miraculous was Damian. Her eyes lit up.

“Yes!” she said, swinging off the roof and landing by the classroom where he sat in solitude. She bolted inside.

After he had defended Marinette at the Jagged Stone concert several weeks before, Marinette had a hard time getting him out of her head. He had put himself in harm’s way to defend her. It wasn’t entirely necessary since she was Ladybug and all, but the part of her that still believed in knights in shining armor fell head over heels for him. He had nowhere near the same effect as Adrien, but he still put a blush on her face.

Damian looked up with a start and stood from his chair. “Ladybug?”

“Damian Wayne,” she said approaching him and holding out the box containing the Miraculous, “Here is the Miraculous of the bat, which grants the power of Perception.” He looked at her with eyes round as disks. “You will use it for the greater good. Once the job is done, you will return the Miraculous to me. Can I trust you?”

Damian smirked and took the box. “Of course you can trust me, Ladybug,” he said. He opened the lid and shielded his eyes from a blinding flash of light as a little brown bat Kwami appeared before him.

“What are you?” he asked. He already knew it was a Kwami, but Ladybug didn’t need to know that.

“My name,” the little bat said, “Is Bella. I’m a Kwami.”

“A Kwami?” he asked.

“I give you your magical powers when you put those on.” She pointed to the black cufflinks in the box. He picked them up, watching them turn silver in his hand and slipped them onto the cuffs of his shirt, glad that he’d worn a button-up to school that day.

“With your power of echo-location,” Ladybug said, “You’ll be able to see through the fog out there.”

“Yup,” Bella agreed with a smile. “You have another power called ‘Sonic Boom.’ Just say those words to produce a shockwave in any direction you want, but when you use it, you only have five minutes until you transform back into yourself. You can also detect lies, but that one is just a bonus.”

“Do you think you can handle this?” Ladybug asked with concern, but Damian scoffed.

“I can handle anything.”

“Then just say the words ‘Bella, let’s fly!’” the Kwami said.

Damian took a breath. “Bella, let’s fly!”

In a blur of brown fluff, the Kwami flew into his right cufflink, darkening them both to their original shade of black. With a bubbly shock, long claws appeared on gloved hands, his clothes falling away, replaced by a sleek costume of brown and black with large panels of material connecting his arms to the side of his suit, entirely flexible and not seeming to get in his way at all. The finishing touch was a blindfold tied over his eyes.

Damian furrowed his brows, lifting up the blindfold so he could see, but gasped. He couldn’t see at all even without the blindfold. It wasn’t as if he was in a pitch-black room, it was as if his eyes weren’t sending any signals to his brain at all. But before he could panic, Ladybug took a small step, the sound waves of the little patter creating a map of the entire room in his mind. He couldn’t see the room, but he could…hear it?

“This is weird,” he said, pulling the blindfold back down and hearing his voice bounce off of every object around him.

“Can you see?” Ladybug asked.

“Uh, in a way.” He balled his hands into fists, furrowing his brow. “Let’s go!”

Ladybug led him out of the classroom and into the courtyard as Damian took inventory, but all he had on him was a short staff attached at his waist. As they stepped into the wide open space, his apprehension grew a bit as the sound took longer to travel back to him, but he wouldn’t let that stop him from helping his friend.

“So,” she said as they ran through the school, “What should your hero name be?”

“Umm…” Damian hadn’t really thought about it. He couldn’t be Batman since there already was one of those. Batboy sounded kind of lame. “How about…Blind Bat?”

“Sounds good.” Ladybug threw open the front doors of the school and slipped into the foggy street. “Alright, Blind Bat, this is where you come in.”

Damian stood still, straining to pick up every inch of the street. “I don’t see anyone. I think we’re alone.”

“Chat Noir,” Ladybug said into her comm unit, “We’re by the school. Hurry over please.”

“ _I’m on my way_ ,” he said. Due to his heightened sense of hearing, Damian could hear the cat’s words over Ladybug’s earpiece.

“Where do you think the Akuma, Misty Eye, went?” Ladybug asked.

“I don’t know,” Damian said, “But she isn’t on this street.” He heard a swish of the breeze reverberate behind him as a body flew through the air, and a metal object tapping the ground and slowing the body’s descent. “Chat Noir is here.”

“Chat Noir?!”

“Ladybug!”

The two heroes ran to each other with Damian following behind.

“I know you were only gone for a few minutes,” Chat Noir said, “But I missed you for every second, Bugaboo.”

Damian felt his lip curl. With or without the mask, Adrien was as insufferable as ever.

Ladybug laughed. “How many times have I told you not to call me that?” she asked, but before he could answer, she swept her hand to Damian. “This is the Blind Bat. He’s our backup for today’s mission.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Chat Noir said.

“And you as well,” Damian said tightly, forcing himself to be amicable so the cat wouldn’t catch on to his identity. Not that Chat Noir was smart enough to do that anyway.

“Let’s go,” Ladybug said, cutting off the conversation, “We don’t want Misty Eye causing any more harm. Let’s head for the rooftops.”

She and Chat Noir made their way to the top of the skyline, Ladybug with her yoyo and Chat Noir with his staff. Damian took a running leap, bounding up to the rooftops with a supernatural strength in his legs, but he only made it halfway, unfurling the wings of his suit and giving them a flap, as if the action were second nature. He soared through the air, suspended in exhilaration, until he landed next to Ladybug on the roof.

“Look,” she said, “See how the mist swirls on that street? She must be there.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Damian said.

“Two o’clock, three streets down,” she said, giving him the general location.

“Got it.” Without waiting for her signal, Damian leapt from the roof, unfurling his wings once again and gliding to the next roof over. It was similar to the gliding function on his Robin suit, except better, more natural. It was as if he was born with wings, but he surmised that it was mostly practice on his part.

The two heroes followed him onto the roof overlooking Misty Eye. They couldn’t see her, but Damian could sense her movements. She turned to look at them, and he pulled out his staff, taking a fighting stance.

“Welcome back, heroes,” she said. “I see you brought a friend. Such a shame that he must be involved in this.”

“You want to say that to my face?!” Damian spat. He jumped from the roof, weapon poised to strike, but Misty Eye met him halfway, batting him to the ground where he skidded to a crouch.

“Blind Bat!” Ladybug shrieked.

“I’m fine!” he said

“Not for long, unfortunately,” the Akuma said softly, picking up a car as if it weighed nothing and bringing it down on Damian. He instinctively protected himself with his hands out in front of him, bracing for impact, but the car did not crush him. He _caught_ it. As if it weighed nothing!

_Okay, I have got to get me a Miraculous_ , he thought with a laugh. Super strength was as cool as Jon had said.

He threw the car off of himself, sensing Ladybug and Chat Noir joining him in the street. Misty Eye picked up another car and hurled it at the heroine, but there was no way she could see it coming. Damian gasped.

“Ladybug, watch out!” He jumped, pushing her out of the way, and they landed several feet from where the car had crashed into the ground.

“We need to figure out how to beat her,” Ladybug said, helping Damian to his feet. “Lucky Charm!” She threw her yoyo into the air and received noise-cancelling ear muffs. “Ear muffs? What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Ladybug!” Chat Noir said, running up to the two of them, “Are you all right?”

She ignored him, trying to puzzle out a solution. It was impossible to see anything through the thick fog, only spotting Blind Bat and Chat Noir right in front of her. She was glad that she had Blind Bat with her because his echo-location was the only thing keeping them from being destroyed by the equally blind Akuma. Ladybug gasped.

“Got it!” she cried.

“I’m not finished with you!” Misty Eye said, brandishing a street lamp like a weapon. She swung it at the group, and Damian jumped in front of the two heroes, fending off the Akuma, using his staff as if it was his regular sword.

“Blind Bat!” Ladybug said, clutching the ear muffs tight, “Use your Sonic Boom to send her up to the roof on the left! Chat Noir, come with me!” She jumped up to where she’d directed Damian to send Misty Eye.

He rolled to her right side, coming to a crouch a bit too close for comfort, but it was necessary to get the angle he needed. “ _Sonic Boom_!” he cried, releasing a shock wave into the Akuma, and sending her flying to the roof top where Ladybug was waiting. He followed her up the roof with a few flaps of his wings.

The three heroes fended her off, dodging swings of the lamp post, but to Damian, it was child’s play. He disarmed her easily with a twist of his staff as he’s done many times when training with the League of Assassins. Misty Eye made a grab for him, but Ladybug was quicker.

She swung her yoyo, lassoing it around Misty Eye and bringing her close, slapping the ear muffs over her ears. She head-butted Ladybug, sending her staggering backward, but the yoyo string held her arms so that she couldn’t do much else.

“Wh-where are you?” Misty Eye said, looking around frantically and struggling with her bindings. “I can’t hear anything. I can’t see!”

“Chat Noir!” Ladybug said, jumping up, “Her glasses!”

He nodded and stuck his hand in the air. “Cataclysm!” he cried, gathering the destructive blackness into his hand. He ran at Misty Eye, grabbing her with his normal hand to steady so he wouldn’t accidentally touch her skin. He gently took her gold glasses in his other hand, sending a black infection into the spectacles, rusting the frames and shattering the lenses. A black butterfly appeared from the object and Misty Eye transformed back into an elderly woman.

“No more evil doing for you, little Akuma,” Ladybug said, swinging her yoyo and capturing the bug. She released the purified, white butterfly into the open and removed the earmuffs from the woman, throwing them into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!” The ladybugs swept through the city, removing the dense fog and putting infrastructure back in its place.

“Pound it!” the two heroes said in unison, bumping their fists together.

“Blind Bat,” Ladybug said, “Get in here! You’re part of the team now.”

Damian reluctantly bumped his fist with theirs. “Do you do that after every mission?” he asked.

Ladybug giggled. “Of course we do. It’s ‘cause we’re a team.”

Damian clicked his tongue and shook his head to himself.

“Chat Noir,” she said, turning to him, “Could you help this woman? I need to get Blind Bat out of here before he transforms back.”

“Of course,” Chat Noir said, helping the confused woman to her feet.

Ladybug left with Damian, racing back to the school and dropping onto the roof just as his Miraculous timer ran out. His costume fell away and Bella reappeared.

“That was fun!” she said. “It’s a shame I can’t be with you all the time. You’re a natural bat, Damian.”

He smirked, anticipating what his father would say to _that_. “Thanks,” he said removing his cufflinks, “It was an honor to be chosen to carry a Miraculous.”

Ladybug frowned. “Please understand that I can’t give this to you very often,” she said, accepting the jewelry he returned, “I can only call you when there’s dire need.”

“Do what you must,” he said with a wave of his hand. As much as he liked having a Miraculous, he also liked being able to actually _see_ his surroundings. Besides, it would cut into his duties as Robin. “I only wonder how you knew I’d be trustworthy,” he said with a smirk, “I haven’t lived in Paris for very long, and I’ve never even met you.”

“Oh…” Ladybug looked away with a small smile. “I have friends all over.” She brought her hand to one of her earrings as they let out a beep. “I have to go, but I’ll see you.”

“Ladybug, wait,” he said, stopping her before she could swing away. “Where do the purified butterflies go?”

Ladybug looked away in thought. “I don’t know,” she said with a shake of her head. “They just…fly away. But I’m sure they like being free of Hawkmoth’s influence.” She smiled.

“Assuming they don’t return to him,” Damian said.

Ladybug frowned again. “Assuming, yeah.” She shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know. See you later, Damian. Bug out!” With that, she flew from the roof top, disappearing into the city as he looked on.

“Oh, we’ll know alright,” he whispered. Damian tapped his earpiece that had been there when Ladybug found him. “New objective.”

“ _What is it_?” Cassandra asked.

“After an Akuma is taken down, find out where the white butterfly goes.” If the butterflies went back to where they came from, Hawkmoth would be in their grasp in no time.

“ _Got it. I’ll pass the message on to the others_.”

“Good.” Damian returned to class, already formulating a plan in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So did y'all hear that Robert Pattinson is the next Batman?


	6. The Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette knows and Bruce knows that Marinette knows.

_Gotham City: Six Months Ago_

Ladybug wound her yoyo around a steel beam lying on the ground and hoisted it in the air, allowing the trapped warehouse workers to free themselves. She made sure everyone was out of harm’s way before lowering the beam to the ground and jumping down from the stairwell. She ran into the open, joining Chat Noir, Robin, Batgirl, Zatanna Zatara and Superboy in the middle of the room.

“That is the last of the workers,” she said in broken English, “Now we can go after Lobo.”

Lobo had found a rather special magical artifact that allowed its wielder to gain immense power, and he had used it to wreak havoc on Gotham, having killed hundreds already. Zatanna recognized the magic power he possessed and went after him, soon realizing that she needed some backup. She called the League for help, who in turn called Ladybug and Chat Noir to see if they were familiar with this type of magic. Together, they tracked Lobo down to an old warehouse, chasing after him and trying to pin down his exact location so they could put an end to his reign of terror.

“Let’s split up,” Zatanna said, “So we can find him faster. I’ll take Superboy with me, Batgirl, you stick with Chat Noir, and, Ladybug, you take Robin. We need everyone to stick to someone familiar with magical artifacts.”

Chat Noir laughed nervously. “Is this a bad time to say that I am not, how do you say, knowledgeable with magic things other than my Miraculous?”

“Don’t worry, kiddo,” Batgirl said, nudging him with her elbow, “Just stick with me and you’ll be fine.”

The group parted ways, and Ladybug ran through the warehouse with Robin.

“You know, Ladybug,” he said, “If you’re ever interested in joining Batman’s team, I can put in a good word for you.”

“That is nice of you,” she said, casting her eyes about as she searched for Lobo, “But I have a team.”

Robin clicked his tongue. “Suit yourself…If you can call that a team.” He muttered that last part and Ladybug chose to ignore it.

They came to a dead-end and turned back around only to find Lobo standing in their way. Ladybug whipped out her yoyo and it swung it at him, but he grabbed it, his newly acquired magic power making the string go limp, and yanked it forward, sending her crashing into the scaffolding with a yelp. She fell to the ground with a groan.

Robin unsheathed his sword and ran at Lobo, fighting with a burning hatred plain on his features, expertly swinging his weapon at the man who fought back with his bare hands. Ladybug couldn’t help but marvel at Robin’s effortless skill. He looked like he wasn’t even trying.

Robin clicked his tongue. “You’re going to have to do better than that, Lobo!” he said. “I have places I need to be.”

Lobo kicked him in the chest, sending Robin staggering backwards into a wall. “Children are so impatient.” He took a few easy steps to where Ladybug stumbled to her feet and grabbed her by the neck, squeezing the life out of her. “You should stop and smell the roses every once in a while,” he said menacingly, watching her face turn purple as she clawed at his hands.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Robin screamed, stabbing his sword into Lobo’s side. He cried out in pain and promptly dropped Ladybug, turning on the boy.

“You’ll pay for that, whelp!”

_Paris: Present Day_

Marinette lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking back on her fight with Misty Eye from the previous week. She had seen the Blind Bat, Damian, fight somewhere before. His technique, mannerisms, how he spoke…it was all so familiar…

Damian showed up barely three days after her meeting with the Justice League. He was in every one of her classes, and went out of his way to be paired up with her for assignments, seeming to favor her out of anyone else. But Damian didn’t seem like the type of guy to play favorites. Robin had also messaged to tell her that her security needed an upgrade the very same day Damian had come over to work on the project with her. He had ample opportunity to search her house while she off fighting another round of Gigantitan. Then there was the tongue clicking. She knew only two people who had that particular tick: Robin and Damian Wayne. They had to be the same person.

“I know who Robin is,” she said calmly, not even looking at her Kwami.

“Really?” Tikki said, munching on a cookie. “Who?”

“Damian Wayne.”

“Are you sure?” Tikki cocked her head. “You’ve never guessed who Chat Noir is and you've been working with him for years.”

Marinette listed off her evidence, waiting for Tikki to jump in and correct her, tell her that she’s overlooked something or was seeing things that weren’t there, but she didn’t. Marinette sat up abruptly, startling her.

“I should have seen it right away!” she growled, throwing her hands into the air. “He was so experienced as Blind Bat! How long has Damian been at this? Since he was a kid, right?” She turned on Tikki with furrowed brows. “How could a child even be in a position to learn the kind of training that Robin has? Something tells me that his dad wouldn’t be pleased to find out that his son is a superhero.” She crossed her arms and sat back against the wall. “I mean, he thinks Damian is just here on foreign exchange, but he’s really fighting Hawkmoth! What does Batman think he’s doing, taking kids away from their parents and training them?” She pouted, but her face smoothed out, her eyebrows raising in realization. “Unless… _Batman_ is his father.” She looked at Tikki in worry.

“Batman is Bruce Wayne?” she asked in disbelief, having abandoned her cookie on the bed.

“Well, it does make sense,” she said with a shrug. “Bruce Wayne is a billionaire, and Batman always has the fanciest gadgets. Those can’t be cheap. And it would explain how Robin is so thoroughly trained since they’re living under the same roof.” Marinette jumped off her bed and slid down her ladder, sitting at her desk in front of the computer. She typed “Bruce Wayne” into the search bar.

She found out that he was a billionaire playboy with more money than he knew what to do with, having inherited his parents’ company after they were killed when he was a child. Marinette frowned at that, thinking of Adrien and his parents, but she plowed on, reading more about his company and finding nothing that alluded to Batman or his caped crusading. She sighed through her nose and clicked the search bar again. This time, she typed in the name “Batman.”

She found blogs not unlike the _Ladyblog_ , listing off various articles and conspiracy theories about who Batman may be, but none of them mentioned Bruce Wayne at all. At last, she typed in “Batman is Bruce Wayne.” The results were one or the other, either talking about Batman or Bruce Wayne, but not both at the same time, save for a talk show interview between Jimmy Fallon and Bruce. She clicked on the video, turning on French subtitles.

_“Have you ever run into the Batman before?” Jimmy asked, “Since you live in Gotham.”_

_“You know,” Bruce said with a smile, “I like to tell people that he and I are buddies, but I’ve never actually seen him in person.” He chuckled lightly, then addressed the audience. “Don’t spill my secret.” The audience laughed._

_“I wonder how he does it,” Jimmy said casually, “Being all brooding all the time. How would_ you _like to be Batman?”_

_“Well,” Bruce laughed again, “I honestly don’t think I’m cut out for the job. You can’t tell, but under this suit, I’m a little soft.” He touched his abdomen and Jimmy let out a hearty laugh, assuring him otherwise._

The clip continued on, but they began to talk about his company rather than Batman. Marinette let out a sigh. “He has to be Batman,” she said, “But there’s no way I can prove it. Unless I ask Robin, that is.”

“Do you think he’ll tell you?” Tikki asked.

“I don’t think so,” Marinette shook her head, “But it’s my best shot.”

_Gotham City_

“She knows,” Bruce said, staring at the computer in the Batcave.

“Who knows what, sir?” Alfred asked, setting a tray of tea down on the console.

“Ladybug knows that I’m Batman.” He pushed out of his chair and picked up a cup of tea, downing it in a single gulp, and turned to Tim, who had popped in for a visit when alerted that “Bruce Wayne” and “Batman” were typed into the same search bar on a computer somewhere. “Could you do me a favor?”

“Let me guess,” Tim said, crossing his arms, “You want me to remotely wipe her computer’s memory and trick google’s algorithm into thinking she typed something else?”

“Yes.”

Tim scoffed and stepped up to the computer, sitting down and cracking his knuckles. “Piece of cake.” Bruce didn’t even crack a smile, but fondly watched him work before turning to leave the cave. Alfred followed him out.

“Marinette is a smart young lady,” he said. “I can see why Master Damian likes her.”

“I only hope my identity hasn’t just been compromised,” Bruce said, opening the elevator door and stepping inside.

“She has never revealed herself to anyone, and I don’t think she would reveal you,” Alfred said reassuringly. Bruce grunted noncommittally. “So you really believe that she has what it takes to be a member of the Justice league?”

“Not now, but there’s definitely potential.” The doors opened and Bruce stepped onto the landing, opening the door hidden behind a bookshelf in the study. “I’ve often thought about suggesting she join the Teen Titans to receive formal training, but she has her hands too full with Hawkmoth right now.”

“And what about Adrien Agrest?”

Bruce sighed and stopped walking. “I don’t know. There’s potential there,” he said. “Not to be a leader, but he’s got passion for this, I can tell. I just wish…” Bruce shook his head. “I just wish I didn’t see so much of myself in him.”

Alfred frowned. “What do you mean, Master Bruce?”

“He lost his parents at a young age,” he replied, “I know how heavy that can weigh on a kid’s heart.”

“But his father—”

“I’ve met Gabriel Agrest,” Bruce scowled, “You can’t convince me that that man is fathering his child.” He sighed again, his face softening. “I’m just glad he has someone like Ladybug. I think he’d be lost without her.”

“Well, if I’m to understand the nature of the Miraculous,” Alfred said, “The ladybug and the cat are Yin and Yang. Each one balances the other. Ladybug needs Chat Noir just as much as Chat Noir needs Ladybug.”

Bruce nodded and smiled. “You know, she’s a little like you.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow. “Me?”

“She is to him what you are to me,” he said.

“Well, I’m flattered that you think of me that way, sir,” Alfred said in faux stiffness, “But I am not looking for a boyfriend at the moment.”

Bruce laughed. “That is _not_ what I meant!”

Alfred smiled. “I know. I was only, as Master Jason says, ‘yanking your chain.’”

“You know,” Bruce said as they exited the study, “I’m a little offended. I’d be a great boyfriend.”

“Shall I consult Ms. Kyle about that?”

“Touché.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fight with Lobo isn't plot relevant. I just wanted to show that Marinette has seen Robin fight before she saw him as the Blind Bat.


End file.
